1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fishing rod holders and is useful, in particular, for holders for supporting fishing rods on the sides or the sterns of fishing boats.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide a fishing rod holder on a boat for supporting a fishing rod while the user is fishing. However, prior art fishing rod holders have the disadvantage that they do not enable a fishing rod to be disengaged from its fishing rod holder in a gentle and convenient manner. This is particularly a problem when it is desirable to effect easy removal of the fishing rod from its holder while the rod is being subjected to a heavy load, for example the pull of a hooked fish.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved fishing rod holder which facilitates ready releasability of a fishing rod from the holder when required.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a fishing rod holder comprises an upwardly open rod receptacle mounted on a support with a pair of rod retainers on the rod receptacle. Pivot connections between the rod retainers and the rod receptacle allow pivotation of the rod retainers between first, lowered positions, in which the rod retainers overlie and retain a rod in the rod receptacle, and second, raised positions, in which the rod retainers are pivoted upwardly relative to the rod receptacle for releasing the rod from the rod receptacle.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fishing rod holder comprising an elongate, upwardly open fishing rod receptacle having upwardly divergent opposite sides with a pair of the elongate fishing rod retainers on the fishing rod receptacle. The fishing rod retainers extend side-by-side along the fishing rod receptacle and form therewith an elongate passage for accommodating a portion of a fishing rod in first positions of the fishing rod retainers. Pivot connections at one end of the fishing rod receptacle, between the opposite sides of the fishing rod receptacle and respective ones of the fishing rod retainers, have pivot axes which converge upwardly and inwardly of the opposite sides.
The upward and inward convergence of the pivot axes allows pivotation of opposite ends of the fishing rod retainers upwardly and away from one another from the first positions to second positions, in which the fishing rod retainers are spread apart from one another to release the fishing rod.